Welcome to my September issue of wellbeing news

September is a time of transition, as the days shorten and hints of autumn are in the air. Children return to school and, for many people, the annual summer holiday is behind them and they need to adjust again to everyday work and home routines.

Times of transition present opportunities. It’s a good time to review your home or work priorities and to prepare for the weeks ahead. Whether you are a manager concerned with getting the best out of your team or someone who takes their own health and wellbeing seriously, this newsletter will provide food for thought.

Frances Taylor
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Light, air, water...and migraine

Did you know that the World Health Organization rates migraine as amongst the top twenty most disabling lifetime conditions? An estimated 25 million working days are currently lost each year to the condition and simple steps such as good lighting, ventilation, and access to drinking water throughout the day can make a huge difference in preventing migraine and other headaches.

Are you doing enough? You can help migraineurs in your workplace firstly, by publicizing Migraine Awareness Week which runs from Sunday 5 – Saturday 11 September 2010.  Its organized by the charity Migraine Action with the launch of a new Migraine in the workplace information pack, free of charge from the charity’s website.

Secondly, my new podcast is designed specifically for migraineurs and guides you through a physical relaxation exercise to ward off fatigue and stress.

Start living - stop stressing

This is the theme for the 2010 National Stress Awareness Day on 3 November. The campaign is run by the International Stress Management Association and it’s an ideal opportunity for businesses to highlight the importance of healthy workplaces. So diary the date now and find out how to get involved at National Stress Awareness Day. As part of the campaign, I will also be offering free stress advisory clinics, so watch out for details.

Forthcoming open training events:

7 September Conference for HR Managers on workplace wellbeing. Come along and hear how Barnsley College has created an award-winning Wellbeing Centre for staff and students.

11 November Communication Skills for Managers: Successful Conversations with Stressed Employees. A day in which you will learn how to prepare for difficult conversations and to manage the communication effectively.

2 December Managers Tackling Workplace Stress: Preventing Stress-Related Ill Health. A workshop to enable managers to actively promote wellbeing in their teams, reducing the negative impact of under-performing or absent staff.

For more information about open and in-house training courses, and for wellbeing coaching, please contact me Frances Taylor brightsparktraining.net

Lessons on workplace wellbeing from the Renaissance

Over the summer, the chances are that you have enjoyed the better light and spending more time outdoors. Our physical environment has a direct impact on our sense of wellbeing and, when we return to work, the change in our surroundings can leave us feeling low. With this in mind, I asked Jez Poulter, of Poulter Architects, for some tips on improving our work places to guard against the winter blues.

To improve workplace wellbeing, we need to consider a number of environmental factors says Jez: As well as heat, noise, air quality, lighting and the design of workstations, there is personal and social space to consider, views out of windows and other connections to the outside.

Get these right and your workplace will feel comfortable, pleasant and well organised, reducing the potential for stress and improving productivity. Increasingly, more individuals work from a desktop base using a computer, a suggested model of which comes surprisingly from the renaissance painting of St Jerome in his Study by Antonello da Messina (1456). In this, St Jerome sits comfortably working at his desk and his workspace is designed to both allow him a personal space and to facilitate working with others. Jez has written a fascinating article on what we can learn from St Jerome. Contact Jez for the article or a free 1-hour consultation to businesses in the High Peak to discuss how your workplace environment could be modified, extended or built from scratch to make it as pleasant for you and your employees as it was for St Jerome.

1:1 wellbeing coaching - face to face,
by phone or email

Two for one on 1.5-hour appointments booked before 30 September 2010. Learn practical techniques to manage stress and improve your health and happiness. As one recent client said "Frances is supportive, understanding and totally non-judgemental. She allows me time to work out my own solutions".

Email me for wellbeing coaching FAQs and to book.

Wellbeing for staff teams: 2 hour in-house workshops

In uncertain times you need to do everything you can to support staff health and engagement. Book this 2 hour workshop by 30 September to run in-house by 30 December and get excellent value at £250 (plus mileage expenses).

Your team will build resilience to stress by learning

• the early warning signs of stress
• the role of personality and perception
• practical relaxation techniques

“The workshop was excellent in every respect. I found the information on breathing and relaxation techniques most useful”. (Staff nurse, Oakwood Young People’s Centre, Sheffield).

For more information or advice on individual or workplace wellbeing, please contact me for a free no-obligation consultation.
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